Chorizo & Squid, Greek Style Couscous Salad

Meal 86 - October 17th - Chorizo & Squid, Greek Style Couscous Salad

You could argue that squid deserves it's own chapter in 15 minute meals. Not just because it isn't a fish, but because it has three meals to it's name - not bad for a rather marginalised member of the seafood community. I had never actually cooked squid before starting this challenge - now I can say I have griddled it, made it into "squidballs" and today I would be completing the trilogy by frying it with chorizo and peppers. And this looked like it would be the best of the three...

I bought the squid from Waitrose and was surprised to discover that 400g amounts to about 12 baby squid. Although they had gutted and cleaned it, it took quite a considerable time to score it and cut it into strips - once again I wouldn't be threatening the 15 minute marker. And annoyingly, by the time I started doing this, much like the noodles in the crispy duck meal I made recently, the couscous was sitting around getting cold. I don't understand why it tells you to do this right at the beginning.

Anyway, never mind. The chorizo and peppers went into the pan followed a few minutes later by the squid. This was another problem as it turns out - I was using a pretty big frying pan (28 cm or so) but with all the chorizo, peppers and squid in it, it's so full that the squid is being stewed rather than fried. I do feel it would have been better to maybe griddle the squid separately and add it to the peppers at the end. It would create extra washing up, but Jamie, unlike poor Lolz, isn't normally averse to such a situation.

The dish does work on some levels - the couscous, with mint and spinach through it, would have been nice if it had been a bit warmer. The peppers, chorizo and feta are amazing together. But the squid could be so much better with a bit of chargrilling. As it was, I didn't think the squid and the sweet peppers went together in the perfect harmony I'd hoped for and so, although it's better than the sticky squid balls, it falls short of the lucky squid and prawns.

Lolz gave the dish 8/10. Difficulty rating 3/10.